The Pure Ones

The Announcement

You would think having a big family has its perks, which it does, but not with my family. Everyone gets along when our father is not around. He seems to bring the worst out in us. My oldest brother, Carter, sleeps with every woman that he lays eyes on. John, the second oldest, is always getting into trouble. Yeah, he’s always pulling pranks at school but he doesn’t stop there. He has gone as far as stealing cars, breaking into houses and robbing convenient stores. Pauly and Mark are the twins. They are usually down at the tracks, teaching the younger kids a lesson, as they would say. I’m next in line, as the only girl besides my mother. Instead of being a tomboy, I still dress like a girl. I enjoy the sports, the pranks and the racing but I also make sure that my school work is done. I don’t care if it’s right or wrong, just as long as it’s done.  The youngest in the family is Trevin. He is the one that does the racing. He fixes cars, races them, sells them and then he repeats the process.

But then there are the parents. My father is a business man. He owns about half of the towns businesses. My mother owns a fourth of the other companies and the rest of the others are privately owned. Our parents are hardly ever home but when we were all younger, mom use to stay home and take care of us. After Trevin started school, that’s when mom started following dad's path.

My family might seem like a normal family of some sorts but that’s all about to change with just one announcement.

“Makenzie! Get up or we’re going to be late for school!” yelled Pauly from outside my door. “If you don’t hurry up, John is going to come in there!”

“Ugh, okay,” I whispered. I’m never staying up late again. I was still lying in my bed, trying to fully wake up. There is no way I’m going to get through this day without falling asleep in one of my classes.

But before I had the chance of waking up on my own, I heard running footsteps coming straight for my door. I jumped out of bed and hurried to my walk-in closet and cracked it behind me so I could still see my room. I watched as John and Mark came into my room with water guns. I reached automatically for my water gun by the door. I didn’t even give them a chance to look for me when I burst out of my closet and started shooting them in the chest and face. They never even hesitated. They started shooting me with ice cold water. I was squealing from the water and they were laughing at the sound. As soon as the fight started, it ended.

“Morning Mak!” Both John and Mark said.

“Morning boys, now get out of my room so I can get changed.”

They didn’t leave right away. Instead John headed to my dresser and grabbed a pair of jeans and Mark walked over to my closet and grabbed a long sleeve shirt covered in skulls. “Here wear these,” John said placing the clothes on my bed. This was the routine. My brothers would pick out my clothes every morning. They said it was easier instead of telling me to go and change. All five of my brothers were protective of me. They didn’t hide me behind clothes but they wouldn’t let me wear anything without their approval. I never saw anything wrong with it. I actually liked it; saved me time on thinking about what to wear.

I shoved my brothers out of my room and locked the door. Quickly, I got dressed and headed downstairs toward the kitchen. Pauly, Trevin, and Carter were making breakfast while John and Mark grabbed plates. I set my bag by the door and went to a cupboard and grabbed our cups.

“Morning guys!” I sang cheerfully.

“Hey, Kenz!” said Trevin.

“Morning Mak,” said Pauly and Carter.

“Has anyone heard from mom and dad?” I asked.

The boys all groaned. They may be our parents but we never liked how they always disappeared.